Our client, a leading strategy and transactions advisory firm, is seeking an experienced Associate Director to join the firm’s People in M&A practice. This position offers an excellent opportunity for a senior professional with expertise in the people aspects of deals - covering integration, separation, and joint ventures - to take on a key leadership role within a high-performing team.

The Team

The Strategy Transactions and Deal Execution practice supports clients across the full deal lifecycle, combining strategic insight with rigorous execution to deliver long-term value. The team works on major corporate and private equity transactions, helping clients design and deliver people strategies that ensure successful integration, transformation, and value realisation.

People in M&A

The People in M&A team focuses on the human side of transactions, ensuring that people considerations are embedded at every stage of the deal. The team advises on workforce risks and opportunities, organisational design, cultural alignment, leadership and talent strategy, and employee transfers - helping clients to navigate complex transitions and maximise value through their people.

The Role

The Associate Director will play a pivotal role in managing client projects, leading multidisciplinary teams, and supporting the ongoing growth of the practice. Working closely with Directors and Partners, the successful candidate will be responsible for project delivery, client relationship management, and business development support.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading people-focused deal projects, including integration, separation, and HR due diligence assignments.
• Managing key client relationships and acting as a trusted advisor.
• Supporting business development activities, including proposals, client pitches, and market initiatives.
• Overseeing the delivery of high-quality outputs, ensuring that projects are delivered on time and within budget.
• Coaching and developing junior team members.
• Contributing to internal initiatives such as thought leadership, methodology development, and practice capability building.
• Ensuring compliance with the firm’s quality and risk management standards.

The Person

The ideal candidate will have:

• A strong consulting background, ideally gained within a Big 4, strategy house, or corporate development environment.
• Significant experience in M&A-related projects, such as integration, separation, or HR due diligence.
• Proven project management experience and strong stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrable experience building and maintaining client relationships.
• Commercial acumen and the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• A collaborative approach and a track record of developing and leading teams.

Technical Skills:

• Strong academic background.
• Structured analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in analysing financial and operational data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Additional language skills would be an advantage.